I’m not sure how you feel about your facial features. I believe everything on your body and face is an asset. There are no flaws, only assets. You are gorgeous just as you are.
But I know that many people may not feel the same. They may feel that the wished they had a smaller nose or ears or the like. So, if you want to visually change the apparent size of an element of your facial features, how to do so without resorting to plastic surgery?
It’s easy if you work with the concept of scale, which helps create optical illusions – one of the tools in our “magician’s toolkit”.
Now I wish I had larger lips, but I know that I’ve had clients who wish theirs were smaller so it’s always a personal choice. This is why I want to give you some tips if you do feel like your facial features are something you’d like to make look smaller.
How to Flatter Larger Facial Features
If you have a larger facial features – such as a Julia Roberts style mouth or a Barbara Streisand nose, you may feel that they are out of balance with the rest of you, if you are not overall large scale.
If this is the case you want to harmonise the scale of your features with the jewellery that you wear next to your face – so earrings and necklace and even glasses.
If your personality style is more relaxed, classic or feminine, then wear larger scale pieces made from multiple small or medium size elements such as I’ve shown here next to Julia Roberts.
If you like bold accessories and a dramatic element in your outfits, then find larger sized pieces that will visually diminish the size of your facial features, in the way I’ve shown here next to Barbara Streisand.
Choosing to wear small scale jewellery will make your facial features look larger and more prominent (which is absolutely fine, if that’s the effect you’re after!). There are no rights or wrongs here, it’s really up to you and how you feel about your features, what you want to highlight and what you want to play down.
Thank you for this piece! I have a big, out of proportion nose I try not to be self-conscious about but still am. This advice will help.
I have a question: would you recommend someone with a large facial feature wear both a large scale necklace and large earrings at the same time (to further balance the scale), or is it better to wear only one portrait-area large accessory at a time (with the other face-framing accessories not worn/or small/or medium) unless the person has a dramatic personality?
Kind of depends how much hair you have too and how exposed the earrings are. Also if you have a short neck I’d say no, but if you have a long neck you could get away with it. Ideal for the Dramatic, but not for classic or relaxed personality styles so much
Many thanks for the helpful reply!
What if your face is a mixed bag of extremes? I have extremely small lips, huge nose and large round eyes. If I wear large scale jewellery to balance out my nose, will that make my lips look smaller? I’m also very petite and slim, so not sure what large jewellery will do to my frame?
I’d work with the bigger elements – remember you can upscale by wearing multiple smaller pieces (which will relate to your smaller mouth)
Again so helpful Imogen!
I have always been conscious of my large nose! I have small lips and small to medium eyes. (My daughters have beautiful big eyes – how does that work!)
I had noticed over time that larger earring suited me best and more recently have found the same with necklaces. Now I understand why!